Feeler loom



J. NORTHROP FEELER LOOM Filed Sept. 22. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 17, 1925.v

J'. NoRfrHRoP FEHLER Loom Filed Sept; v9.2; 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 17, 1925.

J. NORTHROP FEELER LOOM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 22. 1921 ,Patented Mar. 17,192/5:

UNITED STATES PATENT orifice.

JoNAs NoRTHRoP, or HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR To HorEnALn FACTURING COMPANY, or MILFoRD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION oF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

' Application tiled September` To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JONAS NonTHnor, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hopedale, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeler Looms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable'others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvement in feeler looms, and more particularly to feeler looms of the box type.

The application of feeler controlled weft replenishing mechanism to box looms is attended by a complication incident to the fact that'the boxes are rising or falling at the time the feeling operation is performed. The inactive shuttle is moving from inactive to act-ive position at the time the feeler is operating to determine the cri-tical exhaus- .tion of the lling.

According to thelpresent invention it is proposed to provide the loom with a plurality of feelcrs, one for. each box. and to vraise and lower the fe'elers witlrthe boxes so that each feeler maintains a correct `vertical position with nrelation to its box at all times, and in addition to connect the feeler with the change mechanism for throwing the weft rcplenlslnng mechanism into op eration at the time when it is feeling thev bobbin in the shuttle which is about to become the active shuttle.

The object ofthe invention is to produce an improved weft replenishing loom of the boxtype provided with filling feeler mechanism, and the invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly definedl in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention as embodied in a box .loom having'two boxes, Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a loom with the shuttle boxes shown in section; Fig. 2 vis a front elevation of the feelers and a por- .tion of the connections between them and )the change mechanism controlling the weft replenishing mechanism;`Fig. 3 shows parts illustrated in 'Fig. 2 with one of the feelers in feeling position; Fig. 4 is an end view of the construction illustrated in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is' a' plan view of the' lay, the' feeler 22, 1921. Serial No. 4502,526.

the inven? lowered by thef-rods 8, onthe upper end of which they are carried, which slidev vertically on lthe lay structure, being raised and lowered bythe link 9, connected at its lower end to the slide, ,10, which carries the rods 8, and at its upper end to the rocking beam 11, pivoted atl2 to the frame ofthe machine, which rocking beam is oscillated by the pitman 13 connected at its upper end to the rocking beam 11, and at its lower end to the crank 14 which is operated by the. Geneva motion from the cam shaft-4. The

shuttles 2O and 21 are carried in the' boxes 5 and 6, respectively, and associated with e each shuttle is a. feeler, the feeler 22beingv associated with the shuttle 20, anda feeler 23 being associated .with thevv shuttle 21.

These fe'elers are mounted on" a bracket 24, bolted on the Slide 25, which is reciprocated in the bearing 26 by means of a pitman 27,

/co'nnected at its upper end with 'the slide v25',

and at its lower end to the box slide` 10, mounted on the lay structure. It is apparent, therefore, that as the boxes are raised-and lowered to move one or the other shuttle. to active position, the `feelers are likewise raised and lowered at the same time.

.The particular feeler mechanism is that illustrated in Patent No. 1,249,280, granted to me December 4, 1917. The feeler has a filling engaging member 30, mounted. on the end of a feeler leverl 31, being pressed rearwardly -in a direction to engagethe filling on the bobbin by a spring 29, which yields when the lling engaging member comes in Contact with the filling. The feeler lever 31.is pivotally mounted on the Stud 32,`sup' ported in 'a Vbracket 24, and a spring 33, surrounding the hub of the feeler lever, normally tends to turn the feeler lever in a direction to cause the filling engaging member to move away from the butt of the bobbin. This spring 33 is a light spring, and it exerts onlyk suliicient force upon the feeler lever to hold it lightly against the surface 34 of the bracket upright 35, which ported at its lower end in the bracket 37,

to which '.the lower end of the 'feeler lever actuator 36 is pivotally attached at'38. -The eelers-are raisedand lowered in timedrco.

operationl with thevraising and lowering of the boxes, andeach feeler normally occupies the position indicated in Fig. 5, with the rear end ofthe feelerjlever in engagement 'with the surface 340i .the upright 35, byv

reason of the light pressureexerted' upon' the feeler levers by the spring 33. yAs the feele'rs are raised and lowered, they pass by projections 40 and 41 on the side of thc fveeler actuator 36. Thus, as the upper e'e'leiis lowered into active position, `the rear end of its feelerqlever passes the operating surface of` tlievro-jection 40 as, the lay moves forward,- anl the :teelingmovement of vthe feeler is imparted to it by the Contact of the projection .40"'fof thc rear end of the feeler lever as it passes by it.

In the :construction illustrated in 'said patent, the feeler lever was heldy in normal position by the link which connected it with the latchl lever. i In the present con struction the feeler levers 31 are held in lnormal position by the spring 33, .and at the time of feeling, the feelers are passing the one or the other of the projections 40 and 41 on the feeler lever actuator 36. .This eeler lever actuator 36 is connected by means of a link 394 with the latch lever 42, which is pivoted on a in 43. on. the controller slide 50. A spring 45 presses against the latch lever 42, and normally tends to move it in a direction to exert a pull upon thelink 39 so asithereby to tend to move the feeler acuator 36 to the right, 'as viewed in Fig. 2, and this is permitted by the controller 44 to occur at the time the vfeeler lever is passing either the one or the other oftheprojections 40- and 41 on `the/feeler actuator 36. The spring 45is a stronger spring than the spring 33, being 4"of Snilicient strength to move the actuator against the resistance" ofthe spring 33, so

as to tend to turn the feeler anti-clock'- 'wise,`as viewed in Fig.-5, which tendency will be suilicient to turn the feeler inthat direction when critical exhaustion ofv vfilling on the bobbin has been reached;l that l' is to say, whenthe filling on the bobbin no longer is suicient to hold'the feeler from being turned by the means described.

In thev construction of said patent, the connection between the latch lever and the feeler is continuous. In the construction herein described the connection between the latch lever and the feeler is discontinuous, the latch lever tending to turn the eeler at the time when the feeler lever is passing a projection on the eeler actuator.

The controller 44- is mounted on the c011- parts illustrated troller slide 50, which 'is pivotally conv nected at 51 with the change lever 52, mounted on the change shaft 53, connected in thefusual lmanner with the weft replenishing mechanism. The controller slide 50 is provided at its rear end with a foot 54, which 'is received in a slidew'ay 55, secured to the breast beam 56. The spring 45 which tends to turn the latch lever 42, as above described, presses. at one end against a portion of the latch lever on the opposite side of its pivot from that at which the link 39 is attached, andv it presses at the other end against van abutment screw 57, which is cupped to receive it and screwthreaded through a hole in the controller slide 50 and secured in adjusted position by the nut 58.. The controller slide is provided with two ears 60, which support the pin 43, confrom its body andv to be described, in engagement with the pin 46, thereby holding the latch lever in the position illustrated in Fig. 5, that is, in

its inactive position. In the condition of the. j

in Fig. 5, the latch1 lever has .been released by the controller, the f feeler has come into engagement with a bobbin, and the spring 4 5 is normally tending to turn the lat-ch lever in a direction to exert a pull upon the link 39 sopas thereby to move theffeeler actuator to cause the feeler ment, however, is resisted and""prevented by the yarn on the bobbin. The lcontroller 44 is also provided with, a vertical projection 61 on the side opposite from the lug 47, which projects into an opening 62 in the enlargement on top of the controller slide 50. A spring 64 received in a' spring cavity in the enlargement 63 presses against the upper end of the projection 61. From .the lower end of the projection 61 there extends the lug 65, which projects out through the horizontal slot 66 Vin the side of the enlargement 63. A washer 67 encir' fis such that the controller is slidingly and pivotally mounted on the controller slide, the slot 66 permitting the controller to move forwardly and backwardly with relation to the controller slide, and the projection 65 to move toward the bobbin butt, such movelli 15 the lay.

which passes through the elongated hole 66 lpermits the controller to tip on the projection 65 as a pivot, the spring 64 performv ing the double function of tending to hold the controller in its rearward position, and

as well in its depressed position. The under surface of the rear end of the controller 1s curved, as shown, and 1s adapted to be engaged by the upper end of the weft hainmer 80. llVhen the weft hammer is in its 2U active shuttle isboxed at the feeler end of the lay, the weft hammer occupies a rearward position, 'and thus permits the controller to occupy its depressed position with the stud 71 in the path of motion oi,t the bunter 81. When, however, the active shuttle occupies the box o'n'the opposite side of theI loom, the weft hammer in its forward movement lifts the controller so as to raise the controller stud 71 above the .'20 hunter 81 on the lay, so Vthat on this beat of the lay there is formed. f

f The operation of the loom is as follows: As is usual in box looms of this type, the

no yfeeling operation peractive shuttle is picked from the feeler side of the loom to the replenishing side ot the loom. and then pickedfback again. Then the shuttle boxes )are'moved 'to bring the other shuttle'to active position. and it is L10 picked across the loom and back again. The

filling feelers arelocated opposite each shuttle box, being raised and lowered in synchronism therewith. Each filling :teeler is normally held in position to engage the filling on the bobbin opposite it oneach beat of the lay. The feelers are normally held from turning. but as a shuttle moves troni *inactive to active position during a forward beat of the lay,` the forward end of the par- -W tieular fceler which engages the bobbin on such shuttle is passing the projections '40 or 41 of the feeler actuator, and at this time such fecler actuator is pulled upon by the latch lever through the link, 39, as at this time the controller is moved forward sufficiently to relieve the pressure of the lug 4T on the pin 46 of the latch lever, so that the spring 45, through the latch lever link and. feeler actuator, tends to turn the feeler anti- 50 clockwise, and will do so unless the yarn on 0l latch lever to turn and bring its weft'hammer engaging face 90 in front of the knife ,91 of the weft hammer 80, whereupon the weft: hammer will force the latch lever fore. wardly, carrying with it the controller slide operating the change shaft?) to effect replenishment of the shuttle, critical exhaustiondof the bobbin of which has been indicate It will be observed that the feelerillustrated herein performs its feeling operation during the forward movement of -,the,lay,v

and while the boxes are being changed; also that while there is provided afeeler for each shuttle, and while the feeler is located at all times in proper position to enter the shuttle and feel ot the bobbin, it only oper-y atesto indicate critical exhaustion during the forward movement of the lay,the vertical movement of the feeler bringing it opposite the active surface of the feeler actuator, so that the connection between the change mechanism and the feeler is not only discontinuous, but caused to occur at the time a shuttle is moving from inactive to active position. It is also to be observed that features of construction of the controller and feeler are adapted for use on constructions of looms of other types than box looms.

Having thus described is claimed is:

1. A box loom having, in combination, a lay, a plurality ot change boxes on one end of the lay, wett replenisbing mechanism, a plurality ot feelers, one for each change box. means l'or actuating the change boxes and leelers to raise and lower them simultaneously, a controller mechanism compris- 4ing` n controller and connections between it and the weft rcplenishing mechanislmand connections between the controller and the feelers having provision by virtue of which the tceler entering the shuttle moving into active position is connected with the vchange mechanism.

2. A. box loom haring. in combination, a lay, a plurality of change boxes on one' end o't the lay. a plurality ot' feelers mounted onA the loom. means for moving the change boxes and feelers so as .to maintain the same relation of the leelers with the boxes at all times, a 'teeler actuator for actuating the feeler to make its feelingmovement, weft replenishing mechanism, a controller. connections between the controller -andfeeler actuator having provisions lfor moving 'the feelerv actuator to cause a movement of the lleelerA corresponding'to the shuttle moving into active posit-ion, connections between the controller and weft replenishing mechanism for causing the operation of the latter upon critical exhaustion of the filling in the shuttle moving into active position.

3. A box loom having, in combination, a lay, a plurality of boxes mounted on one end .the invention, what i plenishing mechanism.

4. A box loom having, in combination, a -lay, two change boxes on the lay, means for raising and lowering` the change boxes to bring tiust one and then the other of the shuttles vinto active position, a teeler for i eachv shuttle box, a slide on which the teelers are mounted, connectionsbetweenthe slide and the means 'for raising and lowering the shuttle boxes, in timed cooperation with the shuttle boxes, a feeler actuator mounted on a stationary part ofv the loom provided with two surfaces,l the one tor engagement with one feeler, the other tor engagement with the other'leeler, each sur't'ace engaging the feeler corresponding to the shuttle coming into active position, wett replenishing mechanism, and connections between the wet't rei plenishing mechanism' and the feeler actuator having provision for actuating the feeler corresponding to the shuttle coming y into active position upon critical exhaustion of the filling therein.

5. A feeler loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle box, a feeler, means for normally holding the feeler in feeling position, wetty replenishing mechanism', a controller, connections between the controller and the weft replenishing mechanism, discontinuous connections between the controller and the feeler having provision for actuating the feeler to make its feeling movements as the lay beats forward. 6. A fceler loom having, in combination,

a lay, a feeler, weft replenishing mechanism, a controller. a weft hammer, a latch lever adapted to be moved into the path ot' the weft hammer to initiate weft replenishment, and discontinuous connections between the latch lever and the eeler having'provision for making the connection between the latch leverand the feeler to impart a feeling movement to the feeler as the lay moves Jforward on a detecting beat., and to permit movement of the latch lever into the path of the' weft hammer in the absence of iilling.

7. A feeler loom having, in combination,

a. lay, a feeler, weft replenishing mechanism,l

a controller slide, a controller mounted on the slide, connections between the latch lever and the feeler, said controller-being p`ivotally and shdingly mounted on the controller slide and provided with means normally aetl ing to hold the latch lever in inoperative 'position, a bunter on the lay for actuating the ,controller to release the latch lever, and a weft hammerl for actuatingr the latch lever and controller slide upon critical exhaustion Aon the controller slide, a weft hammer, a

controller normally holding the latch lever in inoperative position, a bunter mounted on the lay, connections between the feeler and the latch lever, said controller being slidingly and pivotally mounted on the controller slide adapted to be lifted by the weft hammer out of .the path of motion of the bunter on non-detecting beats of the lay, and to be permitted on detecting beats ofthe lay to occupy its normal position in the path of motion of the bunter, and a spring normally holding the controller in rear position on the controller slide.

9. A feeler loom having, in combination, a lay, a feeler, wett replenishi'ng mechanism, a controller slide, connections between the controller slide and the weft replenishing mechanism, a. weft hammer.. a latch lever mounted on the controller slide, a controller, having a portion to 'engage andnormally hold the latch lever in inoperative position, means for normally1 holding the feeler in operative position, discontinuous connections between the feeler and the latch lever, a

bunter, said controller having a cam surface adapted to be engaged by the weft hammer 'for tilting the controller to move it out of the path of motion of the bunter. l

10. A box loom having, in combination, a lay, a plurality of change boxes mounted on one end of the lay, weft replenishing mechanism, feelers for each box, a slide on which the teelers are mounted, means for actuating the change boxes `and feeler slide for moving them and maintaining each feeler in cooperative position with relation to its box, and means Jfor imparting a feeling movement to the feeler corresponding to the box which receives the shuttle next to be picked.

JONAS NORTHOP. 

